About the project

Across Europe and Neighbouring countries, youth work is increasingly shaped by complex emotional, social and psychological realities. Young people are navigating uncertainty, rapid social change, digital pressure, polarization and declining motivation in education, while youth workers are expected to respond with empathy, stability and inclusive support to these situations. Alongside emotional distress, many youth workers report growing levels of low motivation, disengagement, apathy and lack of initiative among young people, which directly affects participation in learning, community life and democratic processes. However, the emotional demands placed on youth workers are rising faster than the availability of structured training that equips them to manage emotions, both their own and those of the young people they work with, in a healthy, professional and sustainable way. In this context, emotional intelligence is no longer an optional “soft skill,” but a core competence for high-quality youth work, wellbeing promotion, motivation, participation and democratic engagement.

"E-motion: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence in Youth Work" training course is designed to respond to this gap by strengthening youth workers’ emotional intelligence as a key professional competence.  

While youth work is fundamentally based on human relationships, emotional intelligence competences such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, motivation and constructive communication are often insufficiently addressed within existing non-formal education training pathways. Youth workers frequently lack practical tools to respond to emotional withdrawal, low self-confidence, reduced intrinsic motivation and fear of failure, especially among young people with fewer opportunities.

The core idea of E-motion is to treat emotional intelligence not as an abstract concept, but as a concrete, learnable and transferable set of competences that directly support wellbeing, motivation, participation and sustainable youth engagement. By strengthening youth workers’ ability to recognise emotional needs, respond empathically and foster intrinsic motivation, the project aims to enhance young people’s engagement, resilience and active participation in youth work activities.

Through self-reflection, peer learning and practical exercises rooted in real youth work situations, participants will develop emotional awareness and regulation skills, empathy, active listening, motivational approaches and supportive communication competences. Strong emphasis is placed on practical application and transferability to participants’ local youth work contexts.